Compatible
by bouncyballparty
Summary: Terra needs a distraction. And apparently his hair thinks it's just too great for the likes of Magic Theory.


–

"Fire, Fira, Firaga..." Terra yawned, flipping idly through his textbook, making a few notes on the evolution of elemental magic, which eventually led to scribbling aimlessly in the margins. His door was left wide open, giving a clear view of the hall, and he figured he must've done this unconsciously, in some stray hope that distraction would come wandering in any moment, looking for a meaningless chat or companionship. Anything that wasn't Magic Theory would do just fine, actually.

That distraction came later, much later than Terra would've liked initially, but the fact that anyone had taken up his subtle invitation at all was exciting in itself.

Aqua, flipping through the Academy newsletter, leaned against his doorway as if she were just standing anywhere else, still reading when Terra finally noticed her there.

"Hey," Aqua greeted before Terra got the chance, sidling inside the door finally. She slipped around the back of Terra's chair, seating herself on his bed. Entirely too comfortable there clearly.

"Hey yourself." He turned the page, moving onto technical magic now, which was considerably more difficult to understand than elemental magic and therefore, a much bigger headache. Aqua hummed quietly at his elbow and he didn't realize that she was hovering over his shoulder until just now. He nearly covered his paper with his hands, some old habit that hadn't quite died away between them yet.

"Need some help?" Aqua folded up her newsletter in her lap, sitting primly on the edge of the mattress. Flashing a little smile that was all-too knowing.

Terra decided he liked it better when she didn't know she was smarter than him, in some subjects anyway. "Just notes." He gestured weakly toward his book, leaning his chin heavily against his palm. His eyes traveled briefly up her thigh, to the top of her stocking and he wondered why he had never really looked before.

"Don't let me distract you then." Aqua smiled, flipping through her paper again.

Had Terra been more alert at the time, instead of gradually being lulled into sleep by bookwork, he might've said something like, "That was kind of the point," but instead he just shrugged, catching a headline about the Master Qualification Exam date coming up and decided that was a good enough reason to get back to work.

Technical magic, Terra decided, was next to useless and after reading three and half pages of this, he found himself paying much more attention the quiet sound of breathy murmuring to his right, Aqua reading to herself. With her voice as the only soundtrack, Terra's entire body wilted over the book under his elbows, back slumping in defeat, bangs tickling vaguely at his temples.

Terra jumped, feeling the cool slide of fingertips over his cheekbone, tucking his hair behind his ear. Aqua smiled, though looking slightly embarrassed with herself as she stumbled out an explanation.

"Thought you fell asleep."

"Oh." The silence went on for a few long seconds and Terra shook his head, because his brain apparently thought it was a great idea to shudder and conk out at that particular moment. "No," He stretched, straightening his posture to one that was less crippling to his spine. "Just thinking too much."

"Oh," Aqua mirrored, and her hand returned, to Terra's curious pleasure, to the stray hair at the side of his face, placing it behind his ear again. "You're very diligent today." She chuckled, and to Terra's even greater pleasure, placed her hand on the top of his head, playing through his hair to the base of his skull and the back of his neck, eyes slipping closed as she soothingly combed slender fingers upwards again. It was kind of nice, like this, even if the gesture was oddly more affectionate than Terra was expecting. But he found, under certain circumstances, he didn't really care so much.

Aqua continued petting him for a long time, and Terra decided that he really liked the scratch of her fingernails against his scalp and may have actually moaned, just once, quietly, before the moment abruptly ended, her hand slipping away and Terra nearly wanted to grab it and put it back and urge her to do it again, but that hardly would've been appropriate.

"Alright, break's over. Back to work." Aqua nudged his arm encouragingly and Terra scowled at the book, all prior peacefulness fading away in just a few seconds.

"It's just magic." Terra attempted to compromise, but Aqua wouldn't have it, fixing him with that look that Terra was sure all mothers must've learned as teenage girls.

"You'll never be a Master with that attitude." Aqua nudged his arm again and Terra nearly rolled his eyes, picking up his pencil. Bossy woman.

"What language is this even in? These books are ancient." Terra flipped through its pages, looking appropriately put off by the whole thing. The studying, the reading. It wasn't the action he craved. He needed movement, he needed sound, he needed—he needed to get out of this damn chair already.

"Of course they're ancient," Aqua stood, much too excited clearly, standing behind his chair. It was one of the few topics she could get really passionate about, and Terra knew this, yet... "These words were written by some of the most _brilliant_ minds--"

"I wouldn't go that far--"

"-in history. Just think of all the things that they knew, that we don't." She folded her arms over the back of Terra's chair and if he leaned his head back just a little bit, he could lightly nuzzle the underside of her chin, lips brushing the corner of her jaw. When he did, he expected a stutter or a hitched breath, at least, but instead she leaned into it, much to Terra's amazement. "All that knowledge, expertise." Aqua continued, seemingly unperturbed.

"Just a bunch of old men." Terra murmured, a little more enthralled with the presence and scent of her, the way she turned just so, and brought herself down closer, her cheek to his. As if granting her permission. It was both surprising and new and yet, so satisfying.

Aqua didn't have much of a reaction to his words, knowing it was just deliberate button-pushing. She did, however, curl her arms around his shoulders and make herself comfortable, just standing there behind him. "The magic arts are just as important as keyblade training, you know."

A smile. "I don't see how." Aqua's eyelashes tickle his cheek as she blinked her eyes open. She tutted softly, chidingly, shoving the back of his head as she straightened herself. Terra nearly sighed in disappointment.

"I've decided," Aqua returned to her seat on the edge of the bed, fanning out her newsletter almost wide enough to disappear behind. "that we're not compatible."

Terra chuckled, twirling his pencil between his fingers. "That quickly?"

"You left me no choice." She said from behind her paper, but not without a hint of teasing. And Terra smiled despite himself.

He watched her cross those long legs of hers and mentally cursed the inane hassle of Magic Theory and the fact that he simply buckled down and opted to finish that first, at least. All the while, something decidedly _male_ berating him for choosing homework when there was a perfectly _beautiful_ girl on his bed, of all places, only mere feet away.

He figured that Aqua would appreciate that more, somehow.

Figured that if he at least showed the willingness to learn, perhaps then she would be persuaded to change her mind.

They were just compatible enough, after all.

--


End file.
